Designates November each year as "Hospice and Palliative Care Awareness Month."

SJR105

SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION

No. 105

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

INTRODUCED MARCH 5, 2026

Sponsored by:

Senator� M. TERESA RUIZ

District 29 (Essex and Hudson)

Senator� ANGELA V. MCKNIGHT

District 31 (Hudson)

SYNOPSIS

���� Designates November each year as �Hospice and
Palliative Care Awareness Month.�

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As introduced.

��

A Joint
Resolution
designating the month of November of each year as �Hospice
and Palliative Care Awareness Month� in New Jersey.

Whereas,

Hospice and palliative care, considered the model for quality care for people
facing life-limiting illnesses, is a patient-centered, cost-effective
philosophy of care that utilizes an interdisciplinary team of professionals and
trained volunteers, including physicians, nurses, social workers, therapists,
counselors, health aides, family caregivers, and spiritual care providers to
deliver compassionate and expert medical care, pain management, caregiver
training, emotional assistance, and spiritual support expressly tailored to the
patient�s needs and wishes; and

Whereas,

Every year throughout the country, 1.6 million people living with a terminal
diagnosis receive hospice and palliative care; and

Whereas,

More than 430,000 trained volunteers contribute 19 million hours of service to
hospice and palliative care programs annually; and

Whereas,

At the center of hospice and palliative care is the belief that each of us has
the right to die pain-free and with dignity, and that our families will receive
the necessary support to allow us to do so; and

Whereas,

Patients receive hospice and palliative care in their place of residence,
nursing homes, residential or hospice inpatient facilities, and acute care
hospitals.� The location of care may change depending on the nature of the
patient�s disease progression, medical needs, or the plan of care established
between the patient and the hospice program; and

Whereas,

Studies have shown that hospice and palliative care� reduces Medicare program
expenditures during the last year of life by an average of $2,309 per hospice
patient, and improves the quality of care received by Medicare beneficiaries;
and

Whereas,

For many years, hospice and palliative care professionals have known through
firsthand experience that the interdisciplinary care they provide to patients
and family caregivers coping with life-limiting illness significantly improves
quality of life and allows people to focus on living as fully as possible even
as life draws to a close; and

Whereas,
It is
important to continue to raise public awareness about hospice and palliative
care and to encourage the citizens of the State to increase their understanding
of supportive, high-quality, end-of-life care before they or members of their
families are confronted with a health care crisis or terminal diagnosis; now,
therefore,

����
Be It
Resolved
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:

���� 1.��� The month of November of
each year is designated as �Hospice and Palliative Care Awareness Month� in New
Jersey to raise public awareness about hospice and palliative care and to
encourage the citizens of the State to increase their understanding of supportive,
high-quality, end-of-life care before they or members of their families are
confronted with a health care crisis or terminal diagnosis.

���� 2.��� The Governor is
respectfully requested to issue a proclamation on November 1 of each year
designating November as �Hospice and Palliative Care Awareness Month� in New
Jersey, and calling upon public officials and the residents of this State to
observe the month with appropriate activities and programs.

���� 3.��� This joint resolution
shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

���� This joint resolution
designates the month of November of each year as �Hospice and Palliative Care
Awareness Month� in New Jersey to raise public awareness about hospice and
palliative care and to encourage the citizens of the State to increase their understanding
of supportive, high-quality, end-of-life care before they or members of their
families are confronted with a health care crisis or terminal diagnosis.

���� Every year throughout the
United States, 1.6 million people living with a terminal diagnosis receive
hospice and palliative care, but more can be done to educate members of the
public about the benefits of such care.� At the center of hospice and palliative
care is the belief every person has the right to die pain-free and with
dignity.� The role of hospice and palliative care workers and volunteers is to
provide improved quality of life to patients and caregivers coping with
life-limiting illness, and to allow an individual to focus on living as fully
as possible even as life draws to a close.

���� The joint resolution requests
that the Governor issue an annual proclamation calling upon public officials
and the residents of this State to observe �Hospice and Palliative Care
Awareness Month� with appropriate activities and programs.